See the part in bold--I had noticed this as well. Around the same time, Suh participated in other events, so it's not like he can use the 'I'm a private person' excuse. To add fuel to the fire--I mentioned a while back that Suh was apparently the only team member to not do the victory lap at Ford Field after the playoff-clinching win against SD. I think more pressure needs to be put on Suh to tone down the self-promotion and start being a true member of the team.

Oakland Press wrote:

6/20/2012Three challenges the Lions' Ndamukong Suh faces this season

After an amazing rookie season Ndamukong Suh’s sophomore year did not match up. His sack numbers were down from 10 to 4, but it was more than that. Three challenges Suh faces this season.

1. He needs to get back to being the dominant player on the defensive line. Last year arguably he was third best behind Cliff Avril and Corey Williams. Coaches and management have defended him and said that stats don’t tell the whole story. That’s true, but still he wasn’t the dominant player he was as a rookie. Expect to see him get moved around more this season — will play more on the end than he did last year. That should put more fear in the eyes of the opposing offense.

2. Suh needs to prove he can play within the NFL rules like everyone else. Remember that he was suspended for two games last season when he lost control and stomped the Packers’ Evan Dietrich-Smith. The two games was because he had previous fines and was not a first offender. It was costly for him and the team. More is expected from a second overall pick who signed a $60 million contract.

3. He needs to prove he’s a good teammate. Part of that is not getting suspended. Also, he was the only high-profile member of the Lions not to participate in at least one of three recent team charity events — bocce, the golf outing and the fishing tournament. It’s all a part of being a team player.

(Until the start of training camp, the Lowdown lists will appear daily, Monday through Friday. Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter. Email her at Paula.Pasche@oakpress.com.)

_________________"There were a couple times where I was just like, 'Is that legal?" Warford said. "Cause he was getting laid out. I was like, 'Someone might call the cops. This is not fair.'"

June 20th, 2012, 9:49 am

m2karateman

RIP Killer

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10019Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Is Suh a team player?

What an absolute pile of garbage that article was. Suh is a team player. You didn't hear him complain about his teammates not getting him open lanes to make a sack. You didn't hear him complain about anything with the team.

As for his getting suspended, we all know (I hope) that some of the fines he received were COMPLETELY BOGUS in 2010 and 2011. He was a targeted player, both by the league and the officials, and other players took advantage. And no, it's not homerism, it's the damn truth. His reactions may not have been the right approach, but that doesn't mean he's not a team player. Losing your cool because you are getting victimized time and again and the officials aren't calling it is called being human.

Suh isn't perfect, and there are things about him I am not really crazy about. But he's very involved with community stuff both here and in Nebraska and Portland. Not attending some Lions Charity stuff doesn't mean he CHOOSES not to be a good teammate, but could just simply be a scheduling conflict. Those aren't mandatory attendance events for the players, so hanging him out to dry about it is a low blow as far as I'm concerned.

Whoever wrote this article should turn in his Lions fan card and move to Wisconsin.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

Last edited by m2karateman on June 20th, 2012, 10:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

June 20th, 2012, 10:32 am

wjb21ndtown

Re: Is Suh a team player?

Maybe he just sucks at golf and fishing, or maybe he had some family stuff going on? I get the "suck it up and do it anyway" mentality, but maybe it's just not his bag. I can say that I've seen him out with KVB, Best, and Raiola, and he regularly hangs out in down town Royal Oak. He seems to hang out with teammates and go to quite a few "events."

I personally think he needs to prove that he's a team player by not getting frustrated, and not selfishly talking his frustrations out on the other team in ways that cause the Lions yards.

Maybe he just sucks at golf and fishing, or maybe he had some family stuff going on? I get the "suck it up and do it anyway" mentality, but maybe it's just not his bag. I can say that I've seen him out with KVB, Best, and Raiola, and he regularly hangs out in down town Royal Oak. He seems to hang out with teammates and go to quite a few "events."

I personally think he needs to prove that he's a team player by not getting frustrated, and not selfishly talking his frustrations out on the other team in ways that cause the Lions yards.

I agree with this. He is a team player but he's also immature in a lot of ways, and I think the stomping incident and some of the after-the-whistle aggressiveness have demonstrated that immaturity. He has problems with judgment, not with playing on a team.

_________________Proud member of the Contract Extension for Schwartz Fan Club.

June 20th, 2012, 10:47 am

thelomasbrowns

Rookie Player of the Year

Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:54 pmPosts: 2431

Re: Is Suh a team player?

mwill2 wrote:

wjb21ndtown wrote:

Maybe he just sucks at golf and fishing, or maybe he had some family stuff going on? I get the "suck it up and do it anyway" mentality, but maybe it's just not his bag. I can say that I've seen him out with KVB, Best, and Raiola, and he regularly hangs out in down town Royal Oak. He seems to hang out with teammates and go to quite a few "events."

I personally think he needs to prove that he's a team player by not getting frustrated, and not selfishly talking his frustrations out on the other team in ways that cause the Lions yards.

I agree with this. He is a team player but he's also immature in a lot of ways, and I think the stomping incident and some of the after-the-whistle aggressiveness have demonstrated that immaturity. He has problems with judgment, not with playing on a team.

I should point out that the activities mentioned in the original article were going on when everybody was in town for OTAs.

_________________"There were a couple times where I was just like, 'Is that legal?" Warford said. "Cause he was getting laid out. I was like, 'Someone might call the cops. This is not fair.'"

Maybe he just sucks at golf and fishing, or maybe he had some family stuff going on? I get the "suck it up and do it anyway" mentality, but maybe it's just not his bag. I can say that I've seen him out with KVB, Best, and Raiola, and he regularly hangs out in down town Royal Oak. He seems to hang out with teammates and go to quite a few "events."

I personally think he needs to prove that he's a team player by not getting frustrated, and not selfishly talking his frustrations out on the other team in ways that cause the Lions yards.

I agree with this. He is a team player but he's also immature in a lot of ways, and I think the stomping incident and some of the after-the-whistle aggressiveness have demonstrated that immaturity. He has problems with judgment, not with playing on a team.

I should point out that the activities mentioned in the original article were going on when everybody was in town for OTAs.

Yeah, I realize that. The article, unfortunately, is idiotic. Lots of players didn't participate in these events so there's no point in trying to make a story out of one particular guy's absence.

_________________Proud member of the Contract Extension for Schwartz Fan Club.

June 20th, 2012, 12:37 pm

49ers

Varsity Captain

Joined: October 12th, 2011, 9:00 amPosts: 289Location: Vermont

Re: Is Suh a team player?

m2karateman wrote:

What an absolute pile of garbage that article was. Suh is a team player. You didn't hear him complain about his teammates not getting him open lanes to make a sack. You didn't hear him complain about anything with the team.

So being a team player, by your definition, is one that does not complain?

Nah, I don't buy it. It doesn't mean he isn't, but this doesn't prove anything to me.

_________________

Pablo wrote:

the app worked OK, but it is hard to draft while driving.

June 20th, 2012, 6:51 pm

kdsberman

Team MVP

Joined: February 20th, 2007, 10:51 pmPosts: 3419Location: Saginaw, MI

Re: Is Suh a team player?

m2karateman wrote:

What an absolute pile of garbage that article was. Suh is a team player. You didn't hear him complain about his teammates not getting him open lanes to make a sack. You didn't hear him complain about anything with the team.

As for his getting suspended, we all know (I hope) that some of the fines he received were COMPLETELY BOGUS in 2010 and 2011. He was a targeted player, both by the league and the officials, and other players took advantage. And no, it's not homerism, it's the damn truth. His reactions may not have been the right approach, but that doesn't mean he's not a team player. Losing your cool because you are getting victimized time and again and the officials aren't calling it is called being human.

Suh isn't perfect, and there are things about him I am not really crazy about. But he's very involved with community stuff both here and in Nebraska and Portland. Not attending some Lions Charity stuff doesn't mean he CHOOSES not to be a good teammate, but could just simply be a scheduling conflict. Those aren't mandatory attendance events for the players, so hanging him out to dry about it is a low blow as far as I'm concerned.

Whoever wrote this article should turn in his Lions fan card and move to Wisconsin.

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10019Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Is Suh a team player?

49ers wrote:

m2karateman wrote:

What an absolute pile of garbage that article was. Suh is a team player. You didn't hear him complain about his teammates not getting him open lanes to make a sack. You didn't hear him complain about anything with the team.

So being a team player, by your definition, is one that does not complain?

Nah, I don't buy it. It doesn't mean he isn't, but this doesn't prove anything to me.

OK, so when a player complains about his other teammates and/or is interested in padding his personal stats, he is often criticized as not being a team player, right? But a player who does his job without complaint, despite the criticisms being thrown at him for his lack of stats can't use that as evidence of his being a team player?

And that was but one example I used.

Taking a penalty doesn't make a player selfish. Stomping Evan Dietrich-Smith wasn't born of selfishness, it was born of frustration, and understandably so. Driving wrecklessly doesn't make him selfish, it makes him young and immature. And choosing not to attend charitable functions doesn't mean he's not a team player, it means he is utilizing his freedoms of choice to not attend. After the way he's been (at times) attacked in the local media, I can't say I'd blame him for not attending public events. And this article is yet another reason why, if I were him, I'd probably not attend either. Why? Because despite the reason for being there, people and media will prefer to hound him about what was written, or why his sack numbers were down, etc.

I don't think Suh is perfect and he's got some maturing to do. He also has aspects of his game that need to be improved on. But the fact is he goes out there and plays hard. Opposing teams know they have to account for him, and he goes about his business without complaining about how the DEs are getting sacks, or the LBs are getting tackles, etc.

You tell me, what more does he have to do to prove he's a team first player? Attend more charitable events? What does that have to do with being a football player? Answer: N-O-T-H-I-N-G.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

See the part in bold--I had noticed this as well. Around the same time, Suh participated in other events, so it's not like he can use the 'I'm a private person' excuse. To add fuel to the fire--I mentioned a while back that Suh was apparently the only team member to not do the victory lap at Ford Field after the playoff-clinching win against SD. I think more pressure needs to be put on Suh to tone down the self-promotion and start being a true member of the team.

Oakland Press wrote:

6/20/2012Three challenges the Lions' Ndamukong Suh faces this season

After an amazing rookie season Ndamukong Suh’s sophomore year did not match up. His sack numbers were down from 10 to 4, but it was more than that. Three challenges Suh faces this season.

1. He needs to get back to being the dominant player on the defensive line. Last year arguably he was third best behind Cliff Avril and Corey Williams. Coaches and management have defended him and said that stats don’t tell the whole story. That’s true, but still he wasn’t the dominant player he was as a rookie. Expect to see him get moved around more this season — will play more on the end than he did last year. That should put more fear in the eyes of the opposing offense.

2. Suh needs to prove he can play within the NFL rules like everyone else. Remember that he was suspended for two games last season when he lost control and stomped the Packers’ Evan Dietrich-Smith. The two games was because he had previous fines and was not a first offender. It was costly for him and the team. More is expected from a second overall pick who signed a $60 million contract.

3. He needs to prove he’s a good teammate. Part of that is not getting suspended. Also, he was the only high-profile member of the Lions not to participate in at least one of three recent team charity events — bocce, the golf outing and the fishing tournament. It’s all a part of being a team player.

(Until the start of training camp, the Lowdown lists will appear daily, Monday through Friday. Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter. Email her at Paula.Pasche@oakpress.com.)

OK, so when a player complains about his other teammates and/or is interested in padding his personal stats, he is often criticized as not being a team player, right? But a player who does his job without complaint, despite the criticisms being thrown at him for his lack of stats can't use that as evidence of his being a team player?

No, because I don't think Chad Ochocinco was a team player. He also never complained or blamed anyone.

I read the rest of what you wrote. You made excuses for him, good for you. It doesn't mean he is or isn't. I'm not convinced one way or another.

_________________

Pablo wrote:

the app worked OK, but it is hard to draft while driving.

June 21st, 2012, 10:59 am

thelomasbrowns

Rookie Player of the Year

Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:54 pmPosts: 2431

Re: Is Suh a team player?

I guess the jury's still out, but the part I still don't get is why he didn't participate in the victory lap. That meant so much to the fans, the team, and the city.

_________________"There were a couple times where I was just like, 'Is that legal?" Warford said. "Cause he was getting laid out. I was like, 'Someone might call the cops. This is not fair.'"

June 21st, 2012, 11:18 am

m2karateman

RIP Killer

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10019Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Is Suh a team player?

49ers wrote:

m2karateman wrote:

OK, so when a player complains about his other teammates and/or is interested in padding his personal stats, he is often criticized as not being a team player, right? But a player who does his job without complaint, despite the criticisms being thrown at him for his lack of stats can't use that as evidence of his being a team player?

No, because I don't think Chad Ochocinco was a team player. He also never complained or blamed anyone.I read the rest of what you wrote. You made excuses for him, good for you. It doesn't mean he is or isn't. I'm not convinced one way or another.

What? Chad Johnson is one of the biggest self promoters the NFL has seen. More than once he talked about how he needed to get the ball more. I would categorize that as complaining. He never mentioned names, so I'll give him that much credit. But never complained? I'm not buying that.

If you prefer to reserve judgement, that's fine. I can see that point of view. I'm not saying Suh is the consumate team first kind of guy, by any stretch. However, the article seems to indicate he's selfish, and the poll question is yes or no. Until he proves otherswise, I'd say he's a team player.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

June 21st, 2012, 12:40 pm

regularjoe12

Off. Coordinator – Joe Lombardi

Joined: March 30th, 2006, 12:48 amPosts: 3955Location: Davison Mi

Re: Is Suh a team player?

when you hear the newer guys talk about Suh, theyalways seem to mention how he works with them and shows them things that make that better. I'd call that being a team player.

truth be told I'd like it alot more if he spent the offseason with CJ and not Steensn and his dancing with the stars buddies....but he is is own persson and can make his own choices.

_________________2013 Lionbacker Fantasy Football Champion

June 21st, 2012, 1:02 pm

Blueskies

Player of the Year - Offense

Joined: September 13th, 2007, 12:43 pmPosts: 2836

Re: Is Suh a team player?

Someone want to define a "team player" ?

It is a stupid, ambiguous title. Just like saying a guy "has heart."

I don't care if Suh is a team player or not. I just want the Lions to win and I want Suh to get tackles and sacks. If he does that, and the Lions win, I'm happy.